MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference

Steve Corn Page 1 of 14 6/27/2005

Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preparation Database Design Tips 2
Installation and Setup 2
CRUD procedures 3
dOOdads for tables 3
dOOdads for views 3
Concrete classes 3
ConnectionString 4
Enhancing concrete classes 4

Common tasks Retrieve all rows 5
Retrieve one row by primary key 5
Retrieve one or more rows based on other criteria 5
Insert row 5
Delete row 5
Update row 5
Get number of rows 5
Iterate through rows 5
Set the sort expression 6
Set the filter expression 6
Calculated columns 6
Set ConnectionString explicitly 6
Set the current row 6
String properties 6

DynamicQuery WhereParameter enums 8
Retrieve rows 8
Limit columns returned 9
Order By 9
Select Distinct 9
Select Top N 9
Parentheses 9
GenerateSQL 9
ReturnReader 9

Data binding Datagrid 10
ComboBox 10
DropdownList 10

Special functions LoadFromSql* 11
FromXml/ToXml 12

TransactionMgr 13

Object model 14
MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 2 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
PREPARATION

Database Design Tips (MS SQL Server) TOC
1. For each table, use a single identity column as the primary key.
2. For each table, add a column named "RowVersion" with a datatype of timestamp.
(dOOdads will use this column to handle concurrency.)
3. Since dOOdads doesn't handle joins, prepare the joins ahead of time by creating
views.
4. Wherever possible, design your database and application to minimize problems with
nulls. When you do run into problems with nulls, see String Properties.

Install MyGeneration and add the dOOdads project to your solution TOC
1. Download from http://www.mygenerationsoftware.com and install.
2. The installer puts the application in Program Files.
3. Add the dOOdads project to your Visual Studio solution:
a. Right-click on the Solution item and choose "Add Existing Project".
b. Navigate to the dOOdads project (C:\Program Files\MyGeneration\
Architectures\dOOdads\CSharp\MyGeneration.dOOdads\
dOOdads.csproj) and select. The dOOdads project will now appear in your
solution.
c. In the DbAdapters folder, open the "Entity" corresponding to your database
(e.g. SqlClientEntity). Find "Build Action" in "Properties" and set to "Compile".
Repeat for the "DynamicQuery" adapter.
4. Build the dOOdads project.

Get your .Net project ready for dOOdads
1. Add a reference to the dOOdads assembly to your project:
a. Right-click on "References" and choose "Add Reference".
b. On the Projects tab, double-click on the dOOdads project and click "OK".
2. Add 2 folders to the project:
a. DAL (data access layer) - to hold the abstract classes created by
MyGeneration
b. BLL (business logic layer) - to hold the concrete classes that inherit the
abstract classes


MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 3 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
With MyGeneration:

Create the CRUD stored procedures TOC
Start MyGeneration.
1. Edit | DefaultSettings and set the database.
2. Select the template that will generate stored procedures that will work with
dOOdads (e.g., "SQL Stored Procedures").
3. Run the template, select the tables you want (usually all of them), and click OK.
4. The generated DDL will be copied to the Clipboard and displayed in the Output
page.
5. Go to the query tool for your database, paste the DDL code, and execute to create
the stored procedures.

Create the dOOdads for tables TOC
1. Return to MyGeneration and select the template that will generate the dOOdads
code for tables (eg, "dOOdads Business Entity").
2. Run the template, change the output path to the DAL folder in your project, select
the tables you want (usually all), and execute to create the abstract classes.
3. The class name for each of these dOOdads will start with an underscore.

Create the dOOdads for views TOC
1. Select the template that will generate the dOOdads code for views (e.g., "dOOdads
Business View").
2. Run the template, change the output path to the BLL folder in your project, select the
views you want (usually all), and execute to create the concrete classes.
3. The class name for each of these dOOdads will NOT start with an underscore
because they are already concrete classes in the BLL folder.

Write the concrete classes corresponding to the abstract classes TOC
1. Run the Concrete Classes template, saving the code in the BLL folder of your project
2. or write the classes yourself as follows:

public class Employees : _Employees
{
public Employees()
{

}
}
MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 4 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
With Visual Studio:

Include the dOOdads in your project
1. Right-click on the DAL folder and select Include in project.
2. Repeat for the BLL folder.

Enter the connection string in the AppSettings section of the config file TOC
1. Put the connection string in the web.config (for web apps) or app.config (for
WinForms apps) file and name it "dbConnection".
2. If the connection string is not explicitly assigned in the dOOdad, the dOOdad will
look in the config file for "dbConnection".

Enhance your concrete classes TOC
If you wish to add any custom properties and methods to your business entities, you can
do so in the concrete classes at any time. If your data structure changes and you need
to recreate your dOOdads, the code you add here will not be overwritten.

For processing related to the business entity that normal dOOdads methods won't
handle, consider using the special LoadFromSql* methods (see SPECIAL FUNCTIONS) here
in the concrete class.
MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 5 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
COMMON TASKS
Prep
Employees emps = new Employees();
int empID;

Retrieve all rows TOC
emps.LoadAll();

Retrieve one row by primary key TOC
emps.LoadByPrimaryKey(empID);

Retrieve one or more rows based on other criteria TOC
See DYNAMIC QUERY

Insert row TOC
emps.AddNew();
emps.LastName = "Smith";
emps.HireDate = DateTime.Now;
emps.Save();
empID = emps.EmployeeID; //emps returns new key value

Delete row (also see SET THE CURRENT ROW) TOC
//already have the desired row set as the current row, then...
emps.MarkAsDeleted();
emps.Save();

Update row (also see SET THE CURRENT ROW) TOC
//already have the desired row set as the current row, then...
emps.LastName = "Jones";
emps.Save();

Get number of rows TOC
emps.RowCount;

Iterate through rows TOC
if(emps.RowCount > 0)
{
emps.Rewind(); //move to first record
do
{
//do something with the current row
} while(emps.MoveNext());
}

MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 6 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
Set the sort expression TOC
emps.Sort = Employees.ColumnNames.LastName + " DESC";

Set the filter expression TOC
emps.Filter = Employees.ColumnNames.LastName + " LIKE A%";

Calculated columns (used by your application in the dataset, but not stored in the database) TOC
AddColumn
SetColumn
GetColumn
IsColumnNull
SetColumnNull

Example:
if(emps.LoadAll())
{
DataColumn col = emps.AddColumn("FullName",
Type.GetType("System.String"));
col.Expression = Employees.ColumnNames.LastName +
"+ ', ' + " + Employees.ColumnNames.FirstName;
string fullName = emps.GetColumn("FullName") as string;
}

ConnectionString TOC
Define the connection string in your config file, naming it "dbConnection".
If you choose not to do that or you are using more than one database, you can use the
ConnectionString property of the dOOdad.
emps.ConnectionString =
"User=me;Password=pw;Database=Employees;DataSource=MyServer"

Set the current row TOC
Before you can change values in a row or delete a row, the row to change must be
assigned to the DataRow property (the current row). This is accomplished in several
ways:
1. LoadAll or Query.Load the current row is the first row
2. LoadByPrimaryKey the current row is the returned row
3. AddNew the current row is the new row before it is inserted into the database
4. Rewind and MoveNext Rewind sets the current row to the first row in the existing
DataTable; MoveNext sets the current row to the row it moves to.

String properties TOC
Another very handy feature of dOOdads is called string properties. This simplifies the
handling of null values in both string and non-string columns. For each data column in
the dOOdad, there is a string property in addition to the column property.
MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 7 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
For example:
emps.Salary and emps.s_Salary
emps.HireDate and emps.s_HireDate

Check if a value is null:
if(emps.s_Salary == "")
if(emps.s_HireDate == "")

Set a value to null:
emps.s_LastName = "";
emps.s_HireDate = "";

MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 8 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
DYNAMIC QUERY

The dynamic query property of the dOOdad (MyDoodad.Query) allows you to select
records in an ad hoc fashion without having to write a bunch of little stored procedures.
(And its design precludes the possibility of SQL-injection attacks.)

WhereParameter enums (see object model diagram for C#) TOC

Conjunctions (WhereParameter.Conj)
And
Or
UseDefault

Directions (WhereParameter.Dir)
ASC
DESC

Operands (WhereParameter.Operand)
Between
Equal
GreaterThan
GreaterThanOrEqual
In
IsNotNull
IsNull
LessThan
LessThanOrEqual
Like
NotEqual
NotIn
NotLike

Retrieve rows TOC
emps.Where.LastName.Value = "%A%";
emps.Where.LastName.Operator = WhereParameter.Operand.Like;
//Note: Conjuction not Conjunction
emps.Where.HireDate.Conjuction = WhereParameter.Conj.Or;
emps.Where.HireDate.BetweenBeginValue = "2001-01-01 00:00:00.0";
emps.Where.HireDate.BetweenEndValue = "2001-12-31 23:59:59.9";
emps.Where.HireDate.Operator = WhereParameter.Operand.Between;
emps.Query.Load();

MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 9 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
Limit columns returned (Save() cannot be called after limiting columns.) TOC
emps.Query.AddResultColumn(Employees.ColumnNames.EmployeeID);
emps.Query.AddResultColumn(Employees.ColumnNames.LastName);
emps.Query.Load();

Order By TOC
emps.Query.AddOrderBy(Employees.ColumnNames.HireDate,
WhereParameter.Dir.DESC);

Select Distinct TOC
emps.Query.Distinct = true;

Select Top N TOC
emps.Query.Top = 10;

Parentheses TOC
emps.Query.OpenParenthesis();
emps.Query.CloseParenthesis();

GenerateSQL TOC
A diagnostic function that returns the SQL statement created for the dynamic query.
After calling this you cannot load the object. Better to use LastQuery.

LastQuery TOC
A string property that contains the SQL text of the most recently generated SQL
statement.

ReturnReader TOC
SqlDataReader reader = emps.Query.ReturnReader() as SqlDataReader;
MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 10 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
DATA BINDING

Data binding to a datagrid (Web app) TOC
1. Create a typed Dataset (.xsd file) with a DataTable to match the dOOdad columns.
2. Add the Dataset to your form.
3. Add a DataView and assign the new Dataset.DataTable to its Table property.
4. Bind the datagrid to the DataView and design the DataGrid as you wish.
5. In the code-behind, change the DataView's Table property to the DefaultView
property of the dOOdad:
if(emps.LoadAll())
{
dvEmps = emps.DefaultView;
dgEmps.DataSource = dvEmps;
dgEmps.DataBind();
}
(NOTE: The only reason to use a dataset here is to help design the datagrid visually at design time. The dataset
is not referenced in code at all.)
6. If you wish, you can store the dataview in the Session as follows:
Session["dvEmps"] = emps.DefaultView;
dvEmps = Session["dvEmps"];

Data binding to a ComboBox (WinForms app) TOC
//get data
emps.Query.AddResultColumn(Employees.ColumnNames.EmployeeID);
emps.Query.AddResultColumn(Employees.ColumnNames.LastName);
emps.Query.AddOrderBy(Employees.ColumnNames.LastName,
WhereParameter.Dir.ASC);
emps.Query.Load();

//bind to combobox
cmbEmployees.DisplayMember = Employees.ColumnNames.LastName;
cmbEmployees.ValueMember = Employees.ColumnNames.EmployeeID;
cmbEmployees.Datasource = emps.DefaultView;

Data binding to a DropDownList (Web app) TOC
//get data
emps.Query.AddResultColumn(Employees.ColumnNames.EmployeeID);
emps.Query.AddResultColumn(Employees.ColumnNames.LastName);
emps.Query.AddOrderBy(Employees.ColumnNames.LastName,
WhereParameter.Dir.ASC);
emps.Query.Load();

//bind to drop-down list
ddlEmployees.Datasource = emps.DefaultView;
ddlEmployees.DataTextField = Employees.ColumnNames.LastName;
ddlEmployees.DataValueField = Employees.ColumnNames.EmployeeID;
ddlEmployees.Databind();
MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 11 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
SPECIAL FUNCTIONS

Executing custom stored procedures and SQL statements: TOC
Method Name Overloads Returns Fills dOOdad
LoadFromSql (s)
(s, p)
L
(s, p, c)
L
Boolean (true if any
rows are found)
Yes
LoadFromSqlNoExec (s)
(s, p)
L
(s, p, c, t)
L
Integer (number of
rows affected)
No
LoadFromSqlReader (s)
(s, p)
L
(s, p, c)
L
DataReader No
LoadFromSqlScalar (s)
(s, p)
L
(s, p, c, t)
L
Object (first column
of first row in
resultset)
No
LoadFromRawSql (s, p)
P
Boolean (true if any
rows are found)
Yes
s : stored procedure (or SQL statement depending on command type)
p : parameters (ListDictionary
L
or ParamArray
P
)
c : CommandType (sproc, table, SQL statement)
t : timeout (-1 is standard)

These functions can be used to extend the concrete class (in fact, they cannot be accessed
outside of the concrete class). See the examples on the next page.

MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 12 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons

Examples:
LoadFromSql
ListDictionary Parms = new ListDictionary();
Parms.Add(Employees.Parameters.EmployeeID, 152);
if(this.LoadFromSql("proc_GetSpecialEmployee", Parms))
{
...
}

LoadFromSqlNoExec
int NbrOfChecks = this.LoadFromSqlNoExec("proc_CalculatePayroll");

LoadFromSqlReader
SqlDataReader rdr =
this.LoadFromSqlReader("proc_GetSpecialEmployee", Parms)
as SqlDataReader;

LoadFromSqlScalar
DateTime EarliestHireDate;
Parms.Clear();
Parms.Add("@Active", 1);
EarliestHireDate =
Convert.ToDateTime(this.LoadFromSqlScalar("GetEarliestHireDate",
Parms));


LoadFromRawSql
this.LoadFromRawSql("SELECT MIN(EM_HireDate) FROM tEmployees WHERE EM_Active =
{0}","1");


FromXml / ToXml TOC
emps.Query.Load(); //emps.RowCount = 200
emps.LastName = "Griffinski"; //Change first row
emps.GetChanges(); //emps.RowCount now = 1
string xml = emps.ToXml();

//Now reload that single record into a new Employees object and save it
Employees empsClone = new Employees();
empsClone.FromXml(xml);
empsClone.Save();

MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 13 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
TOC
TRANSACTIONMGR

TransactionMgr tx = TransactionMgr.ThreadTransactionMgr();

try
{
Employees emps = new Employees();
emps.AddNew();
emps.FirstName = "Jimmy";
emps.LastName = "Doe";

Products prds = new Products();
prds.AddNew();
prds.ProductName = " Lunch Box ";
prds.Discontinued = false;

tx.BeginTransaction();
emps.Save();
prds.Save();
tx.CommitTransaction();
}
catch(Exception ex)
{
tx.RollbackTransaction();
TransactionMgr.ThreadTransactionMgrReset();
}
MyGeneration dOOdads C# Quick Reference
Steve Corn Page 14 of 14 6/27/2005
Ported to C# by David Neal Parsons
TOC
dOOdads Object Model

(This is the C# flavor. There are slight differences in the Enums in the VB version.)